Written question asked by Christopher Fraser (Conservative) on Wednesday, 24 February 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 26 February 2010. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 March 2010 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Digital Broadcasting: Northern Ireland

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of improving digital coverage in Northern Ireland before the digital switchover; and from what budget that cost will be met.

Answer: As set out in the recently published Digital Britain White Paper, the Government recognise that building out a Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) infrastructure which meets the needs of broadcasters, multiplex operators and listeners, including improving the quality of the signal, will require additional investment. However, the Digital Radio Upgrade programme, alongside the proposals on co-location and licence-renewals, will offer significant cost-savings for commercial broadcasters, some of which must support investment in improving coverage.In areas where the BBC's need to deliver universal access is not matched by the economic realities of the local commercial market, the BBC will need to bear a significant portion of the costs. The full cost cannot be left to the BBC alone. Where possible, the BBC and national commercial multiplex operators should work together to ensure that any new transmitters benefit both BBC and commercial multiplexes. Partnerships between the BBC and commercial local multiplex operators will be even more important at a local DAB level.We will work with the BBC, transmission providers and Ofcom to agree a plan for the extension and improvement of local DAB coverage, and where the cost would most appropriately fall.

Secondary information